8 Best Newport Mansions – Rhode Island
The Newport Mansions were built during the Gilded Age when America’s wealthiest families flocked to the City by the Sea and its surrounding areas. The families had stunning homes built consisting of tens of thousands of square feet of living space, stunning exterior architecture, perfectly maintained grounds and lovely views. Here are 8 of the most amazing Newport Mansions which you must see and photograph when visiting the Ocean State!
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#1 – The Breakers
- Year Built: 1893
- Location: 44 Ochre Point Ave, Newport, RI 02840
- Directions: Here
The Breakers is the grandest of Newport’s summer “cottages” and a symbol of the Vanderbilt family’s social and financial preeminence. The mansion is located on Ochre Point Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island and it can be viewed from the famous Cliff Walk. The 70-room mansion features 62,482 square feet and everything inside the home is stunning from the massive Great Hall and Music Room to the bedrooms where the Vanderbilt’s themselves slept. Not only is the inside of the home beautiful, but the grounds are too. They feature well-maintained gardens, rare trees, ocean views, and wrought iron gates. The Breakers is arguably the most famous of the Newport Mansions and is a must-see for anyone traveling to Newport.
#2 – The Elms
- Year Built: 1901
- Location: 367 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI 02840
- Directions: Here
The Elms was the summer residence of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Julius Berwind of Philadelphia and New York. Mr. Berwind made his fortune in the coal industry and had The Elms built in 1901. The home sits on 10 beautifully maintained acres which include gardens that were recently restored along with marble pavilions, fountains, and a carriage house.
In 1962, The Elms faced destruction when the home was auctioned off to a developer who had plans to tear it down. Thankfully, The Elms was purchased by the Preservation Society of Newport County for $116,000 from the developer. Since then the home has been open to the public for tours and events. In 1971, the Elms was included on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1996, it was designated as a National Historic Landmark.
#3 – Marble House
- Year Built: 1892
- Location: 596 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI 02840
- Directions: Here
Marble House is a Gilded Age mansion in Newport, Rhode Island built for Alva and William Kissam Vanderbilt. Alva Vanderbilt was a leading hostess in Newport society and envisioned Marble House as her “temple to the arts” in America. The home was completed in 1892 and is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Rhode Island. The home can be toured and also viewed from Cliff Walk. One interesting feature of the Marble House is the Chinese Tea House which sits on the property which was built in 1912.
#4 – Rosecliff
- Year Built: 1902
- Location: 548 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI 02840
- Directions: Here
Rosecliff is a lovely Gilden Age mansion in Newport, RI which was commissioned by Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs. Theresa and her husband, Hermann, had the home built for a theatrical setting for grand parties and entertainment. The home sits on over 8 acres of manicured grounds and the interior boasts 28,000+ square feet. It cost $2.5 million when it was completed in 1902 which is equal to about $80,000,000 in today’s money.
Rosecliff has been saved thanks to the kindness of its final private owners, New Orleans’ Mr. and Mrs. J. Edgar Monroe. In 1971, they donated the house, together with its contents and an endowment, to the Preservation Society of Newport County. The property is open to the public for tours and events. It is a popular wedding venue!
Fun Fact: Scenes from several films have been shot on location at Rosecliff, including The Great Gatsby, True Lies, Amistad, and 27 Dresses.
#5 – Chateau-sur-Mer
- Year Built: 1851
- Location: 474 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI 02840
- Directions: Here
Chateau-sur-Mer is one of the first grand Bellevue Avenue mansions of the Gilded Age in Newport. The mansion was built in 1852 for the retired China Trade merchant William Shepard Wetmore. The mansion has had many additions and renovations since it was built and it is currently owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County. It is open to the public as a museum.
#6 – Kingscote
- Year Built: 1839
- Location: 253 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI 02840
- Directions: Here
Kingscote is a Gothic Revival mansion and house museum at Bowery Street and Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island. The mansion was designed by Richard Upjohn for George noble Jones who was a Southern planter. The mansion was completed in 1839 in a Gothic Revival style. Today, the Preservation Society of Newport County manages the property and opens it to the public for tours.
#7 – Isaac Bell House
- Year Built: 1883
- Location: 70 Perry St, Newport, RI 02840
- Directions: Here
The Isaac Bell House is a historic house and National Historic Landmark at 70 Perry Street in Newport, Rhode Island. Also known as Edna Villa, it is one of the outstanding examples of Shingle Style architecture in the United States. The house was built in 1883 and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1997.
#8 – Chepstow
- Year Built: 1860
- Location: 120 Narragansett Avenue, Ward Ave, Newport, RI 02840
- Directions: Here
Chepstow is an Italianate house museum located at 120 Narragansett Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island. Chepstow was built in 1860 by resident Newport architect George Champlin Mason as the summer residence of Edmund Schermerhorn. At the time, it was a summer cottage for the Schermerhorn family. Today, the Newport Mansion is owned by the Preservation Society of Newport County.
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